Method of depositing fibrous material



Patented Jan. l5, 1946 METHOD OF DEPOSITING FIBROUS MATERIAL Richard M. Roberts, Granville, Ohio, assignor to Owens-Coming Fiberglas Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application August 4, 1942, Serial No. 453,602

(Cl. lll- 145) 4 Claims.

The present inventionlrelates to methods of laying or depositing fibrous material and particularly to methods of depositing a brous material, such as brous glass, onto a deposition surface such as wire mesh.

An object of the invention is to provide an eilicient method of applying strands of nbrous material to a supporting member in a manner to obtain a heterogeneous arrangement of the fibrous material on the backing in simulation of a desired pattern.

Another object of the invention is to apply strands of fibrous material directly to the supporting member-at a controlled rate from spools or reels of strands of brous material, thereby obviating handling and obtaining a predetermined quantity of the fibrous strands on the supporting member.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specification, the drawing relating thereto, and from the claims hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a partly broken away side elevational view of a machine by which the method of the present invention may be performed;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1 partly broken away; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the air feed means employed with the device of Figures 1 and 2.

While the invention is conc rned basically with the laying or deposition of fibrous material, it has particular usefulness in the making of camouflage material and will be described in connection with the production of such material.

Camouflage nets or screens are required to simulate natural foliage to be most effective. They must also be of very light weight for ease in transporting, and are preferably of an open mesh or weave so as not to cast solid shadows. Difficulty has heretofore been experienced in meeting these requirements and at the same time securing the irregular pattern needed to give the appearance of foliage.

To obtain light weight and open mesh, as well as noninilammability and resistance to weathering, glass fiber strands are applied to a metal mesh backing member. The desired irregular or heterogeneous arrangement of the strands on the mesh is obtained by depositing the strands from a blast of air. The strands flutter and wave while in the air blast with the result that they are deposited on the mesh in irregular manner. 'I'he air blast may also be moved in a straight line transversely of the wire mesh or angularly relative thereto to effect distribution of the strands over t-he entire area of the wire mesh.

According to the present invention, strands of brous glass are fed from spools and deposited onto a supporting surface, which in the present instance is a wire mesh backing member.. The fibrous glass is in the form of strands, slivers, rovings or yarns of glass fibers, which may be made by any of the processes disclosed in the Slayter United States Patent No. 2,133,238 of Octcber 11, 1938. The strands of fibrous glass may be deposited between upper and lower layers of wire mesh and such wire mesh is then secured together through the fibrous glass. The wire mesh backing member may be in the form of ordinary poultry netting, which is Bonderized prior to the application of the glass wool thereto. After the brous glass is secured to the wire mes-h, the camouflage is coiled into rolls and thereafter subjected to a dip painting process.

The strands are threaded through central apertures formed in blow-heads and upon the application of air pressure to such blow-heads the fibrous glass is deposited onto the wire mesh. The blow-heads are moved while depositing the strands onto the wire mesh to drop the strands thereon in such fashion that they cross and overlap each other and provide what simulates a foliage pattern. The diversity of such camouflage may be controlled by the relative speed of movement of the wire mesh and the speed at which the strands are blown through the blow-heads and deposited onto the mesh, and the rate of movement of the blow-heads.

Referring to the drawing for a better understanding of the invention, in which one embodiment of apparatus adapted to carry out the present method is illustrated, an elongated table support is generally indicated at I0 and a mounting frame, generally indicated at I2, is disposed adjacent one end of the table support I Il. A roll of wire mesh I4 is rotatably mounted on a transverse shaft I5, which is supported in suitable bearings mounted on the frame I2 in the lower portion thereof. Such wire mesh in the embodiment illustrated is in the form of ordinary poultry netting.

A table support I6, having an upwardly inclined top surface, is disposed between the frame I2 and the table I0 and is adapted to receive on the upper surface thereof the wire mesh I4. Another roll of wire mesh I'I is rotatably mounted on a shaft I8, the ends of which are pivotally received within bearings on bearing brackets I9 which are secured to the table I8. The wire mesh I1 is disposed above the wire mesh I4, and

strands of glass fibers are deposited 'onto the top surface of the mesh Il; andthe mesh I1 is thereafter laid on top of the fibrous glass, so that such glass is sandwiched therebetween.

The means for depositing and distributing the strands of glass fibers are mounted on the frame I2 above the roll Il. Such strands of glass fibers are indicated at 20 and are wound on spools 22. A plurality of lsuch spools 22 is rotatably mounted on spindles 2l at spaced intervals across the frame I2 and at the rear thereof. Such spindles 24 may be received within mounting brackets 25, which are fixed to a transverse frame member 26.

Each of the strands 20 is passed through a guide-eye 21. which depends from the top transverse bar of the frame I2. Each strand is then wound about a feed drum 28 and is then passed through another guide-eye similar to the guideeye 21 and mounted on the frame I2.

'I'he feed drum 28 has usual end trunnions pivotally received within suitable bearings mounted on the frame I2, and one of such trunnions has a drive pulley 3I keyed thereto and driven in any suitable manner. The feed drum 28 serves to facilitate unwinding of the strands 20 from the spools 22 and feed such strands to blow-heads 60 at a predetermined rate.

The construction of such blow-heads 60 is shown in detail in Figure 3, and it will there be seen that the blow-heads are each formed of separable sections B2 and 8l. The sections provide an inner air chamber 66 which communicates with a conical chamber 68 directed to the outlet side of the blow-heads. The section 62 is provided with a. central aperture 101 therethrough which is aligned with an inlet aperture 12 formed in section E4. Each of the strands 28 is threaded through the apertures 12 and 10 of the blow-heads 60. Air under pressure, from a suitable source, is introduced through a ilexible conduit 14 into the chamber 86 through a port 16 and passes into the corneal passageway 68 and out through the aperture 10. It will be appreciated that as the air passes through the chamber 68 and out through the aperture 10, it envelops the strand 2l) and pulls it through the blow-head and projects it forwardly thereof.

The blow-heads 60 are disposed at intervals transversely of the mesh I4, and are adapted to be moved transversely thereof. Each of the blow-heads G is mounted on a bracket 16 which, in turn, is xed to a transversely extending mounting bar 11. The mounting bar 11 is slid-` ably disposed on a transversely extending bar 18, which is mounted on frame I2.

The bar 11, carrying the blow-heads 60, is adapted to be reciprocated transversely of the mesh I 4 during the depositing of the strands 20 thereon. Suitable means are provided for reciprocating the member 11 and, in the embodiment illustrated, such means include a connecting link 19 which has one end pivotally connected to one end of the bar 11 and the other end Apivotally connected to a crank disc 80. Such crank disc is keyed to a drive shaft 82, which is journaled in a frame 83. The shaft 82 may be driven through a suitable electric motor 84, gear reduction mechanism 85, and belt 86. As the crank disc 80 is rotated, it will be appreciated that the blow-heads 60 are reciprocated transversely of the mesh Il.

Rotation of the feed drum 28 draws the strands 20 from the spools 22 and feeds them to the blow-heads til. It has been found that the use of the feed drum 2B reduces breakage in the strands to a minimum and provides for a fast feed. This positive feed of `the strand maintains a constant rate of application of the strands, which might not result it the feed of the strands was eifected solely by means of the blast. The air passing through the blow-heads projects the strands 28 above the inclined surface of the table I8 and on to the mesh il moving thereover. Thereafter, the mesh I1 is deposited on top of the strands 20. The upper and lower meshes of wire with the glass ber strands therebetween are then passed through feed rolls 3l, one of which is driven by suitable means. such as a motor 38, gear reduction I6, and belt and pulley arrangement I1.

After the camouiiage, including the lower mesh Il and upper mesh I1 with the fibrous glass therebetween, leaves the feed rollers on table lli, such camouflage is disposed on the support I0. The upper and lower meshes I1 and I4 are there suitably secured together and the camouage is passed along the table, where it is received by a coiling means, not shown, and coiled into rolls.

Other suitable apparatus may be employed in performing the method of the present invention. The apparatus described herein is for illustrative purposes only, being more fully described and claimed in application Serial Number 454,- 277, for Camouflage fabricating machine, led August 10, 1942 by William E. Meyer and myself as joint inventors.

Instead of the particular" type of blow-head shown in Figure 3, any suitable type of blower capable of enveloping the. strand in a blast of air may be employed. Blowers of the circular type are desired, however, since the strand is more easily fed into the center of the blast and is thus effectively engaged by the strand. Also, the straight-line reciprocatory movement of the blow-heads 6B may in some cases be replaced with an angular movement effected by any suitable mechanism. This latter type of movement may serve to whip the strands about to greater extent.

Application of the glass ber strands to the backing mesh by means of blasts of air has been found particularly effective for, in addition to irregularly and haphazardly depositing the strands, the blast of air tends to fray and separate the fibers in the strands and flu up the strands in a desirable manner.

Various modifications may be made in the present process within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The process of applying fibrous material to a backing member which comprises, moving the backing member in substantially the path of its plane, applying a constant feeding force to a continuous integral strand of fibers to draw the strand from a supply of the strand and feed it toward the moving backing member at a constant rate, applying a second force to said strand independent of said feeding force for urging the strand toward the backing member by surrounding said strand intermediate the point of application of said constant feeding force and the backing member with a gaseous blast moving substantially in the direction of movement of the member, depositing the strand in haphazard fashion upon the backing member by the blast, maintaining the strand on the backing member integrally united with the strand in the supply, and moving said blast transversely relative to the backing member to distribute the strand over the member.

2. The. process which comprises, drawing a continuous strand made up of a, multiplicity of bers from a supply of the strand in the form of a continuous length of .the strand Wound into a package and feeding the strand toward a foramlnous collecting member at a positive rate by applying a, constant feeding force to the strand, conveying the strand to the collecting member by applying a second and impositive force to the strand by surrounding the strand intermediate the point of application of the feeding force and the member with a gaseous blast, preserving the integrity of the strand and depositing it on the backing member in haphazard arrangement, and continuously moving said member in the general direction of the path of its plane to progressively cover the member with the strand.

3. The method which includes, applying constant forces to a plurality of continuous strands each made up of a multiplicity of bers to draw the strands from the respective supplies thereof at constant rates, applying second and impositive forces to said strands by feeding the strands into a plurality of tubular .blasts of air individual to said strands, conveying the strands by means of said blasts to an open mesh collecting member and depositing said strands thereon in haphazard arrangement while preserving the strands deposited on the member integrally united with said supplies, continuously moving said member substantially in the path of its plane to progressively cover the member with the strand, and moving said blasts transversely of said member to cause the deposited strands to overlap each other on said member.

4. The method which includes, applying constant forces to a plurality of continuous strands each made up of a multiplicity of iibers to draw the strands from supplies thereof at a constant rate of speed, applying second and impositive forces to the strands by surrounding said strands individually with blasts of air, conveying said strands to a foraminous collecting member by means ,of said blasts and deposting said strands thereon in haphazard arrangement while preserving the continuity of the strands between the member and said supplies, continuously moving said member substantially in the path of its plane to progressively cover the member with the strand, and moving said blasts angularly relative to said member to cause the strands to overlap each other on said member.

RICHARD M. ROBERTS. 

